Arrangement for mounting a pane of plate glass



April 26, 1960 P. DELAROCHE ARRANGEMENT FOR MOUNTING A PANE OF PLATE GLASS Filed Jan. 22, 1959 qun II..U lllll ARRANGEMENT FOR MGUNTING A PANE, OF PLATE GLASS Application January 22, 1959, Serial No. 788,315

9 Claims. (Cl. -564).

The present invention concerns an arrangement for mounting apane of plate glass or the like, particularly for mounting such a pane in connection with a display case or shop window. Conventional arrangements of this nature usually comprise a main frame defining the opening. to be closed by the window pane of plate glass and supporting the latter, further a usually decorative outside covering frame which hides the main frame, a plurality of connection means connecting the two frames and being substantially equally spaced from each other, and finally attaching means for holding the plate glassv and the frames in the desired relative positions, these attaching means being either elastic clips or screws.

Undoubtedly, a system incorporating the use of elastic metal clips greatly facilitates and speeds up the assembly. work as compared with a system employing screws. However, elastic metal clips exposed to the atmosphere are subject to corrosion whereby gradually their spring power is reduced and consequently the fixation of the glass pane is impaired.

It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide for an arrangement for mounting a paneof plate glass, avoiding the disadvantages of conventional systems.

It is another object of this invention to.provide for an arrangement of the type set forth incorporating elastic clip means of non-corrosive material.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide for an arrangement of the type setforth which is particularly simple in construction and still more, simplifies the assembly work as compared with conventional systems employing clips.

With above objects in view, an arrangement according to the invention for mounting a pane of plate. glass comprises a main frame having at least one elongated" portion extending substantially parallel with, and spaced from, an edge portion of said pane of plate glass; and clipmeans made of elastic synthetic material and adapted to elastically engage on one side thereof said' elongated portion of said main frame, and on the other sidethereof said edge portion of said pane of plate glass, in such a manner that said pane is held in position relative to saidmain frame.

The novel features which are considered as charac- States Paten teristic for the invention are set forth in particular, in Q of the embodiment of Fig. 1, the section being taken along line A-B of Fig. l.

2,933,77Q Patented. Apr. 26, 1960' In case the arrangement according to the invention is applied for closing the front opening of a show or shop window, then" only one such arrangement will be mounted along the four sides of the opening to be closed by the plate glass. If, on the other hand, a large show or display case having several sides exposed to view is to be provided with a corresponding number of panes of plate glass surrounding the inner space of the case, then a corresponding number of mounting arrangements ac.- cording to the invention for the individual panes. will have to be used.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the arrangement comprises a mainframe or base made up, in thisparticular example, from an angle iron 1 and a second'angle. iron 2 rigidly attached to each other by welding at 19,, 20 or in any other suitable manner. The angle iron 1 is attached by means of nuts 17 to an anchor stud. 18. fixed in the masonry 16 forming a sill or other. foundation of the display case or shop window. Ofcourse, the main frame can be constructed from other types of suitable construction materials like rolled steel flats, angle. irons, U- or Z-irons, the only important feature being that the main frame comprises an elongated substantially flat portion extending substantially parallel with, and spaced from, the corresponding edge of the glass plate 7. In the present example, the above mentioned elongated: portion of the main frame consists in the upper, horizontal side portion of the angle iron 2-. Of course the. above. reference to steel and iron members is not to be interpreted as arestriction to these materials since. other materials used in construction ofthistype would'be en-. tirelysuitable for the purposes of this invention.

Evidently, the extremely simple structure of the-main. frame 1, '2" makes it possible that this frame is put. in. place right at the outset when the rough building construction takes place. The members of, the main frame: shouldbe selected so that they are free of any recesses. or any waviness that might invite accumulation offlinmidity.

For mountingthe glass plate 7-, clip means are applied. to the main frame memberv 2. For reasons explained further below, the clipmeans in theillustrated example. are composed ofa main holding member 6 andfasup; plementary holding member 11; Boththe memberso. and" 11 are made of a comparatively stiff and elastic. synthetic material'which is not sensitive to humidity nor, subject to. oxidation; preferably polyamide or. polyfluorethylene type synthetics which are known under. the, trade names Rilsan, nylon, Teflon, etc. These materials. combine'stiifness with elasticity and with resistance.;to wear so that they'are capable, if properly shaped, to. at-. tach themselves by gripping the above. mentioned. elo n .gated'portion of the frame member 2.

The main holding member 6 of the clip means-accord; ing to the invention is generally of an S-shape cross-v section having a central web portion extending along the top surface of the frame member 2 and through: thespace between the edge of the glass plate 7 andqthat'top surface, with a first and asecond flange portionpextendingtransversely from either end of, said web-portion... The

first flange portion, shown to-theright in Fig.1, extends in two opposite directions, namely downward with aelip reachingv around theright hand, edged the member-"2, and upward extending around the edge portion-of tl'iev plate 7 so asto engage the latter ontheinner sidethereof.

The second flange portion of the main holding member 6 extends around the opposite free edge of the main frame member 2. It can be seen therefore that themain holding member 6, being elastic, may be easily placed in clamping position on the frame member, land; will,

- hold'itself' automatically in this position.

The glass plate 7 may then be placed in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The supplementary holding member 11 is assembled with the main holding member 6, in this particular example, by means of a dove-tail connection 24. It is evident that the members 6 and 11 could also be made out of one integral piece although they are preferably made separately. Other suitable connections between the two members 6 and 11 may be used. The member 11 has a flange portion somewhat spaced from the web of the member 6 and extending toward the outer side of the edge portion of the plate 7 so that it may serve to hold the latter in position.

It is to be understood that it is of advantage to make the clip means out of two separate members 6 and 11 because in such case it is possible to make the member 6 of porous material of the type specified above for this member so that a ventilation by air passing through the porous material between the outside and the inside of the arrangement, as is indicated by a dotted line with arrows in Fig. l, is made possible.

To complete the whole arrangement a decorative outer cover frame 14, preferably of extruded or rolled light metal, is provided. This cover frame 14 has a substan tially M-shape cross-section, i.e. with one flange portion extending toward the outer side of the edge portion of the plate 7 and preferably having a groove along the free edge of this flange for accommodating a strip 21 of rubber or similar elastic material engaging the surface of the plate 7; two additional ribs or flanges 3 and 4 extend to the right as seen in Fig. l, the outer edges of these ribs 3 and 4 being formed with rounded beads 8 and 9, respectively, which are adapted to be forced into corresponding C-shape channel portions 22 and 23, respectively, provided in the opposite portions of the members 6 and 11, respectively. It can be seen therefore that the cover frame 14 can be attached to the previously described arrangement in an extremely simple manner, namely by pushing the elements 8 and 22, and 9 and 23, respectively, into interlocking engagement whereby the assembly of the whole arrangement including fixing the plate 7 in place is completed.

As is indicated in Fig. 2, it is not necessary to have the clip means, i.e. the holding members 6 and 11, extend all along the longitudinal portion of the member 2. The same applies to the angle pieces 1. In other words, a plurality of clip means, i.e. members 6 and 11, may be provided as elements of a suitable limited length and may be distributed in substantially equal intervals along the length of the frame member 2.

' As can be seen further from Fig. l, the clip means according to the invention may be used to advantage for mounting and holding other elementsv of the display case or shop window. The inside flange of the member 6 may be provided with another C-shaped channel 10 for accommodating the beaded edge 25 of a flange or rib of a holding bar 12 which, when the bead 25 is engaged in the channel 10, is adapted to hold in place a horizontal plate, panel or the like, 13 which is then held in position between an edge of the bar 12 and a shoulder of the inner flange portion of the member 6. V

In Fig. l, for the sake of completeness, 15 indicates a covering structure of any suitable material hiding the masonry portion 16 from view, a gap being left between the upper edge of the structure 15 and the lower edges of the left hand flange of member 6 and of the cover frame 14 for permitting the passage of ventilating air as explained above.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of arrangements for mounting a pane of plate glass differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in arrangements for mounting a pane of plate glass in shop windows and display cases, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. Arrangement for mounting a pane of plate glass, comprising, in combination, a main frame having at least one elongated portion extending substantially parallel with, and spaced from, an edge portion of said pane of plate glass; clip means made of elastic synthetic material and adapted to elastically engage on one side thereof said elongated portion of said main frame, and on the other side thereof said edge portion of said pane of plate glass, in such a manner that said pane is held in position relative to said main frame; and an outer cover frame of substantially M-shape cross section having one flange portion adapted to engage said edge portion of said pane on the side opposite to that engaged by said clip means, and having two additional flange portions extending towards said clip means, interlocking attachment means being provided for interengagement of one of said additional flange portions with said clip means in such a manner that said one flange portion of said cover frame is thereby held in engagement with said edge portion of said pane.

2. Arrangement for mounting a pane of plate glass, comprising, in combination, a main frame having at least one elongated portion extending substantially parallel with, and spaced from, an edge portion of said pane of plate glass; clip means made of elastic synthetic material and having a substantially S-shaped cross section with a central web portion extending between said edge portion of said pane and said elongated portion of said main frame, with a first flange portion extending in opposite directions transversally of said main frame, and with a second flange portion extending in one direction transversally of said main frame and away from said pane, so as to be adapted to elastically engage on one side thereof with one portion of said first flange portion, and with said second flange portion, said elongated portion of said main frame, and to engage on the other side thereof with another portion of said first flange portion said edge portion of said pane of plate glass, in such a manner that said pane is held in position relative to said main frame; and an outer cover frame of substantially M-shape cross section having one flange portion adapted to engage said edge portion of said pane on the side opposite to that engaged by said clip means, and having two additional flange portions extending towards said clip means, interlocking attachment means being provided for interengagement of one of said additional flange portions with said clip means in such a manner that said one flange portion of said cover frame is thereby held in engagement with said edge portion of said pane.

3. Arrangement for mounting a pane of plate glass, comprising, in combination, a main frame having at least one elongated portion extending substantially parallel with, and spaced from, an edge portion of said pane of plate glass; clip means made of elastic synthetic material and adapted to elastically engage on one side thereof said elongated portion of said main frame, and on the other 7 side thereof said edge portion of said pane of plate glass,

substantially M-shape cross section having one flange portion adapted to engage said edge portion of said pane on the side opposite to that engaged by said clip means, and having two additional flange portions extending towards said clip means, interlocking attachment means being provided for interengagement of said additional flange portion with said clip means in such a manner that said one flange portion of said cover frame is thereby held in engagement with said edge portion of said pane, said interlocking means comprising beaded edge portions provided along the outer edges of said additional flange portions, and corresponding substantially C-shaped channel portions arranged along said clip means for elastically receiving said beaded edge portions.

4. Arrangement for mounting a pane of plate glass, comprising, in combination, a main frame having at least one elongated portion extending substantially parallel with, and spaced from, an edge portion of said pane of plate glass; clip means made of elastic synthetic material and having a substantially S-shaped cross section with a central web portion extending between said edge portion of said plane and said elongated portion of said main frame, with a first flange portion extending in opposite directions transversally of said main frame, and with a second flange portion extending in one direction transversally of said main frame and away from said pane, so as to be adapted to elastically engage on one side thereof with one portion of said first flange portion, and with said second flange portion, said elongated portion of said main frame, and to engage on the other side thereof with another portion of said first flange portion said edge portion of said pane of plate glass, in'such a manner that said pane is held in position relative to said main frame; and an outer cover frame of substantially M-shape cross section having one flange portion adapted to engage said edge portion of said pane on the side opposite to that engaged by said clip means, and having two additional flange portions extending towards said clip means, interlocking attachment means being provided for interengagement of said. additional flange portion with said clip means in such a manner that said one flange portion of said cover frame is thereby held in engagement with said edge portion of said pane, said interlocking means comprising beaded edge portions pro-' vided along the outer edges of said additional flange portions, and corresponding substantially C-shaped channel portions arranged alongsaid clip means for elastically receiving said beaded edge portions.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 3, said clip means including a main holding member capable of engaging said elongated portion of said main frame with said second flange portion and with one portion of said first flange portion, and of engaging said edge portion of said pane on one side thereof with another portion of said first flange portion, and said clip means including a supplementary holding member interlockingly mounted on said web portion of said main holding member on the' side opposite to said second flange portion, one of said C-shaped channel portions being provided in said second flange portion of said main holding member, and the other one of said C-shaped channel portions being provided in said supplementary holding member.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said main holding member is porous for permitting ventilation by air passing between the outside of the arrangement and the inside thereof.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clip means are made of polyamide type synthetic material.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clip means are made of polyfluorethylene type synthetic material.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 5, comprising a plurality of clip members of comparatively short length mounted at intervals along said elongated portion of said main frame for permitting ventilating air to pass between the outside of the arrangement and the inside thereof, through said intervals.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,775 Oswald June 12, 1951 

